


Letters Unsent

by mifuyuyu



Series: Ingrid Birthday Weekend 2021 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Letters, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mifuyuyu/pseuds/mifuyuyu
Summary: Day 1 of Ingrid Birthday Weekend on Twitter.To whom was she writing? She knew, yet she didn't understand why she would be trying to write to Nikolas of all people. This had become a routine for her; sitting down with a blank piece of parchment paper in front of her with a dipped quill in between her fingers, yet the same words would come out with no conclusion. What others didn't know was that all of her presumably failed attempts at a letter of greeting were far from trashed, unlike the many marriage proposals she had received from her father during her time at the academy. No, she kept them stored away for safekeeping, just in case she'd be able to finish one of them before long.
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Ingrid Birthday Weekend 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088075
Kudos: 1





	Letters Unsent

Actions speak louder than words, as the old saying goes. 

It had been quite some time since the war first began, and the same amount of time since Ingrid had last seen her classmates from the academy. They were off fighting their own battles and figuring out their place in the war. Truly, it was a difficult situation to be placed in. 

The quill that she had freshly dipped into the ink had been set aside as the blonde paced back and forth. To whom was she writing? She knew, yet she didn't understand why she would be trying to write to Nikolas of all people. This had become a routine for her; sitting down with a blank piece of parchment paper in front of her with a dipped quill in between her fingers, yet the same words would come out with no conclusion. What others didn't know was that all of her presumably failed attempts at a letter of greeting were far from trashed, unlike the many marriage proposals she had received from her father during her time at the academy. No, she kept them stored away for safekeeping, just in case she'd be able to finish one of them before long. One turned into two, then ten, and now she had around twelve folded pieces of parchment paper with the same words:

_'It has been quite a while since we've last spoken, Nikolas. I hope you're doing well. The war has taken a toll on all of us, and I'm sure it is the same for you as well. It feels surreal that one day we were at the Officers Academy, and the next we were fighting in a war. The days have begun to drag on ruthlessly, and I've begun to worry about the future._

_My father was not pleased when I insisted on fighting on the front line and not tending to my duties as a noble. Yet, I ultimately decided to pursue my own selfish desires after he allowed such, and have witnessed the loss of many comrades on the battlefield. I am lucky to not be among them, but it has led me to write this letter out of desperation. If I do not write out this letter to you, I am afraid you will never know my true feelings if something were to happen._

_Despite our differences and constant bickering before, I…'_

The letters always stopped there. Fear seemed to guide Ingrid's hands when she folded up the letters and sat them aside each time. She knew what she wanted to say, but there wasn't a place for such heartfelt feelings in the midst of a war, and she didn't know if he was even… _no,_ she wasn't going to stoop to such a negative mindset. All she can do is be positive that she'll see him at the reunion in a few years.

For now, she had more pressing matters to attend to… the war certainly wasn't going to end itself, after all. 

The following years had passed by painfully slow, given that the battle continued to wage on. Ingrid never heard from or seen Nikolas until the reunion; but due to the circumstances it gave Ingrid nearly no time to greet Nikolas, or vice versa. Even then, it wasn't like she could outright tell him about the letters. What would he even make of them? He had never tried to send her a letter as far as she knew, so why should she bother with it? At most they seemed to burn a hole in her pocket, but she still refused to get rid of them. 

In the present day, a few moons had passed since the reunion, and she had nearly forgotten about the letters. It was a few nights after the battle at Gronder Field, and Ingrid had already retired to bed. Or, well, tried to. The knock on her door in the late hours of the night was an unwelcome surprise for her. Nonetheless, she stood up and opened the door, looking straight at the culprit once she did.

 _Nikolas_.

"Yes, can I help you?" Her tone was harsh, her grogginess evident with each word she spoke.

"Oh... If you're busy, I can just come back another time." His eyes scanned her face and caught her annoyance, but didn't comment on it. "I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“If you haven’t noticed already, it’s quite late at night and we’ve both had a long day. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

The redhead shook his head firmly, frowning at the prospect of waiting. He was never the patient one, but the look in his eyes didn’t support his usually stubborn behavior. Before Ingrid knew it, his hand was resting on the doorframe, fingers clenching the surface as his foot tapped against the floor.

“That’s the problem, Ingrid. Today.” His other hand flew up to his face, and he groaned. “It can’t wait another moment.” 

“If you insist, but I would prefer to rest at a decent time tonight.” She moved out of the way and allowed Nikolas to enter the room, shutting the door once he was in. While he was making himself comfortable on her bed, Ingrid made sure the room was lit appropriately. It only took a few moments, and then she sat beside him. “Now, what is it that you could possibly want to discuss at this hour?”

“Well, it’s more of something I have to show you.”

Reaching into his pocket, Nikolas took a few folded pieces of paper out of his pocket, handing them over to Ingrid. Her thumb ran over the seal that kept the pieces folded, and it was tempting to open them. Before she could, though, his hand gently grabbed hers, turning it over so that she would be able to look at the front. Signed in his messy writing was her name, faded quite a bit from wear and old age.

“Letters?” Immediately, her first thought was they were from the academy days, but… they were sealed, as if to send out for delivery. There were three in total, each one unmistakably different than the last. One didn’t bear a name, another was crumpled up to pieces, and the other was completely fine, save the worn nature of the paper. “Nikolas, how old are these?”

“The first one was from a year after everyone separated, the second was three years, and the third was… mere moons before we came back for the reunion. I had intended to send them out, I really did, but I was distracted every time I attempted to do so. Even now we’ve been staying busy, and I didn’t want to burden you with them like this, but today showed me that life is too short to keep such things to myself.” He let go of her hand, letting it rest on the bed. “I’d like for you to read them, when you’re not tired.”

“I can read them for you now, but…” Ingrid’s gaze moved over to her desk, where the letters she had accumulated were sitting on top. She sat the ones from Nikolas in between them and stood up to grab them. “It’s funny, actually. I had the same thought, but yet my letters were all the same. In all my years, I had never struggled so much to conclude a letter. And so, I never did.”

“That's… interesting.”

“Since you came abruptly and you are my guest, I’d like for you to read mine first. There might be quite a few, but they all bear the same words, so I will bring you only one.” 

The letters she had accumulated had been well taken care of, and none of them bore any wrinkles or tears; even the first one she had written was in the same condition as the others. The blonde stood in place for a few seconds, taking a closer look at the specific letter she had decided to pick up. It was the very last replica that she had written, looking the exact same as the others but different only as she had written the number in the top corner. A sigh escaped her lips when she turned around, seeing his curious gaze on the paper she held in her hands.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll read yours first.” Nikolas didn’t wait for her to come over, instead standing up and walking over to her. His fingers brushed over hers when he took the letter, the sound of paper the only sound that could be heard throughout the room. His teal orbs read Ingrid’s penmanship carefully, soaking up each word. Some lines put a smile on his face, while others made him frown. The last line, though, made him bite his lip enough that there was a mark left when he was done.

_Despite our differences and constant bickering before, I…_

“What a line to end off on.” He chuckled nervously, looking up from the parchment. “Did you really not know what to write, or…?”

“I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write the words,” She scratched the side of her face, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, “but in summary, the rest of the letter should read-”

“Can you write the rest of it out for me?”

Ingrid paused mid-sentence, biting her tongue in the process. It definitely wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but she didn’t look particularly phased by that; but while that was seemingly nothing to her, the notion of Nikolas wanting her response written out on the paper bothered her immensely. With shaky hands, she grabbed the letter from his own hands, walking back over to her desk and sitting down in the chair. Conveniently, she already had a stationary set placed in the corner out of sight, making it easy for her to grab a quill and a bottle of fresh ink.

However, Nikolas was peering over her shoulder before she could even begin to write.

“I can practically feel you breathing on my neck, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t. I understand that you are curious, but I would prefer if you sat down and waited patiently for me to finish.” 

“If you say so... I’ll lay on your bed and take a nap.”

“This isn’t your room, so do not take a nap on my bed.” She opened the bottle of ink and dipped the quill in, beginning to write out the conclusion to her letter. “Honestly, you act like a child when it’s most inconvenient for me. Have you no manners, _Hussain_?”

“We’re going by a surname basis now? Okay _Galatea_ , I’ll sit on your bed like a polite gentleman. Or… lay back."

Rolling her eyes, she heard the bed creak behind her but did not look back as she wrote down each new word meticulously. What she had to say was genuine, and although she was annoyed by his behavior, Ingrid’s stance on the letter didn’t change. It took her at least fifteen minutes of silence and dipping her quill into the ink to finish off the letter, even signing her name at the bottom as per the standard. Turning her head to look back at him, she saw that he had indeed laid back in her bed. 

Of course he was.

“It’s finished, but the ink won’t be dry for quite a while. You’re more than welcome to get back up and read it, though.” Ingrid looked forward and put the top back on the bottle of ink, moving it back where it was sitting before along with the quill. Eager footsteps caused quite a stir in the tranquil atmosphere, and she winced when Nikolas was yet again standing behind her. “Refrain from lifting it off the desk, please.”

“Why did you assume that I was going to lift it off the desk?” He leaned over her head to try and peek, but her hand shot up to block his vision. “Hey, I thought you told me that it was okay to read?” 

“It is, I would just prefer if you’d wait for me to stand up so you can take my spot. Then you can read it.” 

Upon having said that, she stood up from the chair and ushered for Nikolas to sit down. He obliged, eyes darting down to read the freshly-written part of the letter:

‘ _Despite our differences and constant bickering before, I have come to realize that there is more to you than what’s on the surface. Although you may act immature and irrational at times, you are an irreplaceable ally and a trusted friend. Were it not for our time spent together those years ago, we would have scarcely crossed paths, and I am certain we would not have garnered such a strong bond. Truly, I appreciate your company._

_Present day: as you sit behind me twiddling your thumbs and causing my bed to creak, a thought has crossed my mind. I have come to see you differently than before. You have changed in more ways than one, from your demeanor in battle to the way you handle yourself around others, and that is truly unexpected. Before, we had argued immensely about our knightly values, and now we have come together to share quite a few ideals. Yet, your personality has not changed at all._

_You’re still the same man that came to the academy those years ago. Maybe that is why I find it so hard to believe that I have developed some form of feelings for you. I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m referring to, but elaborating on them would just cause strife with our current situation. Just know that you do hold a special place in my heart, though that could be quick to change. Until the war is over, I will bite my tongue when it comes to that, so do not bother asking._

_You're more than welcome to do whatever you wish with this letter, though a part of me hopes that you will keep it._

_Signed, Ingrid.’_

Nikolas stared at the desk for a while after that, causing Ingrid to worry. She didn’t come off as too forward, did she? Not able to make out his expression from behind him, she moved to his side to get a clear look at his face. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he sucked in a breath.

“I wasn’t twiddling my thumbs behind you, Ingrid, though I suppose I was being quieter than usual.” He chuckled, standing up and pushing the chair back into the desk. 

“I didn't mean literally, Nikolas. It’s a figure of speech, but you wouldn’t understand, what with that mind of yours. That’s quite alright, though.” Ingrid let out her own chuckle, reaching up to run her hand through his red locks. “I appreciated the silence, however brief.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing.” She retracted her hand back to her side, and her eyes widened when she realized that she had yet to read the letters Nikolas had handed to her earlier. “Forgive me, I completely forgot about the ones you had given me. I should probably read them now, since you had read mine...”

“No, it’s fine. I think you should get some rest before you read them, especially after the contents of your own letter were… quite a surprise, in a good way.” Nikolas donned a grin, putting his hands on his hips. “Mine share the same sentiment, but I think with the way you’re struggling to keep your eyes open that it would be best to let you sleep.”

“I can’t hope to argue with that logic.” 

“I’ll leave your letter here overnight so that it can dry, and come back in the evening hours to retrieve it. Though, make sure to read the letters I wrote to you before then.”

“Oh?” She went over to her bed and picked said letters up, placing them aside. “Any particular reason, Nikolas?”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts, that’s all. You’re free to do whatever with the letters, though like you wrote to me… I’d prefer if you’d keep them.”

Without a second thought, Ingrid found herself smiling widely, eyes closed. She was curious as to what might be written in the letters; had she not said she would wait until morning to read them, she would have been glancing them over numerous times right this second. Unlike the letters she had disposed of from her father which detailed the marriage proposals she had received, she knew Nikolas could have no such intent, being that he had no claims to his own house.

She didn’t have to think about her response, either.

“Of course I’ll keep them. Each _one_ of them. After all... you wrote them for me, and that in itself is more than enough reason to cherish them.”


End file.
